Bhooshan, KIAMS 2011-2013 – “Whenever I Shared A Report With Mr Narayanan, My KIAMS Alumnus Guide, He Would Call Back With Invaluable Recommendations And Changes.”

Posted on: June 15, 2012

Bhooshan, who was recruited for internship by the Prestige TTK corporate office in Bangalore, was assigned to the Pune branch, which is the centre for the company’s operation in the Maharashtra region, barring Mumbai. He has just returned to KIAMS from his 2-month internship with one of the best know kitchenware and home appliances brands – Prestige.

“My project was on Induction cook-tops. I was required to deliver an extensive survey on the different brands and their product variants, their pricing strategy, free gift strategies, and advertising and promotion strategy. In addition,I was expected to delve into the offerings to the dealers and distributors by various brands, to boost the sales. My project involved visiting dealers and distributors of Prestige cook-tops as well as its competitors, gain Information from them, and collate and pass it on to Prestige.”

With the May sun beating down mercilessly on the backs of those who dared to traverse the plains of Maharashtra, Bhooshan, a Nagpur lad groomed in the best traditions of KIAMS, knew he would have to play it smart.

“Initially the dealers and distributors of competing brands, like Bajaj and Philips, were not willing to part with information. They were especially finicky about questions pertaining to profit margins. I had to find a way out. I noticed that dealers were less likely to speak about product, pricing and profit margins in the presence of a client, so I started visiting them in the afternoon heat. This way I was able to ensure a 100% involvement of the dealers and distributors.”

To his colleagues at KIAMS, Bhooshan comes across as an ‘unassuming’ personality; but beneath his exterior you’ll find a ‘go-getter’ of the highest order. This ‘unassuming’ persona of his has helped him gain an invaluable insight into the mind of a dealer.

“While doing this survey, I realised there was immense learning from the sales perspective. I was able to ascertain why dealers want to keep a certain brand, and why they do not like to stock a different brand. So if I were to launch a new brand, I now know what to keep in mind before taking it to market.”

Bhooshan’s confidence is that of a man who has roughed it out across the rural fields and the urban slums. He singles out the role of his KIAMS alumnus guide, Mr Narayanan, in his immensely appreciated survey report to Prestige TTK.

“Whenever I shared a report with him, Mr Narayanan, my KIAMS alumnus guide, would call back with invaluable recommendations and changes, to make my report more effective. Whenever I would share my plan with him, he would call back and inform me of the precautions that I must take, and problems that I might encounter.”

He advises his KIAMS peers, that the success of an internship lies in understanding the deliverables and planning accordingly; and thereafter creating stages, and review the same at the completion of each and every stage before moving to the next.